My mother-in-law, Jacqueline, took back the bicycle she gave my daughter, Jean, for her birthday. Yup, she stole it from her own granddaughter. But the reason behind it is what really pushed me over the edge.
Jean’s birthday morning had been perfect, with sunshine and cupcakes when Jacqueline showed up with the most beautiful pink bike. Jean loved it, and I was shocked, as Jacqueline had never been so generous. But five days later, she came by again, demanding to take the bike back. She explained that Mia, her other granddaughter, saw it and wanted the same one, so Jacqueline needed to return it. She said, “Jean won’t remember,” and that’s when I snapped.
With Jean in tears, Jacqueline took the bike, claiming she needed to please Mia. I knew I had to do something. That night, we invited Jacqueline over, pretending to surprise her with a lakeside cabin for her birthday. But when we told her the real surprise was that we were putting the money into an account for Jean instead, she was furious.
The next morning, Jacqueline returned the bike without a word or apology. But Jean got her bike back for good. Jacqueline had learned the hard way that taking from a child has consequences.
Later, I leaned into Adam, smiling. “Some lessons are expensive, but this one was worth every penny we didn’t spend.”